Back to Blackhawk
by Shari Skye
Summary: A sequel to "Nanny and the Blackhawk Wilderness." Someone said they wanted a sequel with the Professor returning with Nanny and the Children for a campout? Ok, here ya go!


**Disclaimer: I do not own **_**Nanny and the Professor**_** or these characters and I make no profit from them.**

**This is just a sequel to something I had planned as a one shot, an AU which I called "Nanny and the Blackhawk Wilderness." It of course was an AU to the second season episode **_**Back to Nature**_**. I asked if a sequel would be good and got a positive response so here it goes. Please enjoy your reading. And a big thank you to a new friend for being my beta. She made some wonderful suggestions and caught many of my mistakes. However, all remaining mistakes are my own. :-) Thank you for reading!**

**Back to Blackhawk**

Nanny had taken the children on their first campout only two weeks ago. Now they were planning to go again with the Professor. They had in fact, hoped to go with their father the previous weekend but it had rained. Here they were again, bags packed and praying that no last minute mishap would spoil their plans like before. The Professor had hoped for another hot weather weekend but instead of the low 80-degree weather of two weeks ago, it was barely 70 degrees, 72 at best. Those temperatures didn't bode well for the immediate swim upon reaching their destination. As he loaded the car he noticed there were much fewer things than when they loaded it a few weeks ago. "Hal, no telescope?" he asked.

"Gosh Dad, I don't need it out there, I can just lay on my back and see all the stars I want, I'll use it here at home where I can study stars instead of enjoying them."

The Professor pinched his brows together. Did that just come from Hal, his son that lives and breathes science? And Butch wasn't bringing the entire library, to tell him what he would be looking at. This was a definite improvement. The children had seen to it that he'd bought a lantern this time and a camping stove. Ok well that was just a bit modern but he certainly wouldn't complain about that. Nanny had asked him to pack fishing gear this time and he'd carefully selected the pole and tackle. In return she had brought some steaks, she was so happy that he'd offered to go that she was willing to indulge him.

One more sleeping bag, two more pillows, that's it, he had the car all packed. "Ok everyone, that's it. Are we ready to go?"

"We're ready Professor, lead the way." Nanny motioned to the children and they all got into the car. One hour down the road and they were singing "Row, row, row your boat." He was amazed that they all had such a good time on the drive. He could remember times after his wife had passed away and before Nanny came where rides in the car were a battle of wills, Hal and Butch fighting, Prudence crying and him trying to make it to the next stops without crashing the car from sheer aggravation.

Now here they were driving along and singing rounds. They might not be musically harmonious but this was certainly harmony to the soul. Still, the Professor wasn't completely satisfied. He inwardly cursed the cool weather; he really wanted to see Nanny in that two-piece bathing suit. Well such was his confounded luck. He was still glad to be going. He certainly had more anticipation for going than the last time.

When they got to the area they picked their spot carefully. Nanny wasn't content to use the same spot as last time, she wanted each campout to be a unique experience for the children. This new spot was quite secluded and beautiful, with a little natural cove in the lake. Always pursuing the fun out of life rather than the practicalities, Butch was the first to pipe up, "Dad can we go swimming?"

Before the Professor cold answer Nanny interjected, "I think that might be rather bad timing just now don't you?"

Harold hadn't been on the last campout so he wasn't sure what she was getting at, so he kept quiet and listened to the conversation. "Gosh Nanny, we went swimming first thing last time," Butch complained.

"Indeed we did, but last time it was quite hot out and we needed to cool down. We also had the pond and another part of the lake nearby so that we weren't scaring off our dinner when we swam."

"Oh right, well... if we catch dinner first then can we swim?" Harold wanted to tell his son yes right off. He wanted to swim too. Moreover, he wanted Nanny to swim, but he was unsure about it being warm enough. He certainly didn't want his children catching cold.

Nanny looked at the Professor, and then responded with a "We'll see."

"Come on Butch, let's get you and Hal set up with poles and see what we can catch." He walked away with his arm around his son. He had two fishing poles to accommodate his sons; one he'd had since he was a boy and one that his late wife had bought him shortly after they were married. He himself would be content to help and watch as the boys fished.

He was amazed at the amount of fish that they caught in a relatively short amount of time. He had planned to coach the boys through their casting and reeling in but each time he started to tell them how to do something they went right ahead and did it perfectly (or at least near perfectly). Apparently the "guys" they had run into out here a couple of weeks ago had done more than just "showed them a few things."

As they headed back to their spot the Professor was not quite elated to see more "guys" with Nanny and Prudence. One was chatting Nanny up while the other was making a fire pit. Prudence appeared to have been gathering kindling since her arms were laden with twigs, and he could faintly hear her ask, "Is this enough Mommy?"

Well why is that all he heard? He wondered what the man talking to Nanny had been saying. The boys seemed to have heard Prudence and fell in step faultlessly. "Hey Mom, look how many we caught!" "Yeah Mom, we're becoming real pros."

While it was a bit odd to hear his children referring to Nanny as their mother, it was much more upsetting to have their secluded little cove invaded by uninvited men. Had she always been a man magnet? Had he just never noticed before? As he walked up Nanny said, "Hello Darling, did you enjoy fishing?"

Professor Everett's head whipped around and he saw her looking at him as though she had just said the most natural thing in the world. He was a highly intelligent man, but he could falter or stammer quite a bit when taken off guard. Today he was a bit quicker on the draw; it took him barely over a second to compute that if she was playing the role of his children's mother then she must also be playing the role of his wife. "Err.. yes, well it wasn't very taxing you know; with only two poles, all I needed to do was sit on a large rock and watch them reel in the fish. So DEAR, are you going to introduce me to our guests?"

"Oh, I AM sorry, this is Bill, he's here with his cousin Jake," she indicated the man bent over the make shift fire pit assembling kindling and wood. "They met here and were just taking a hike around the lake and stumbled onto us. I was arranging things and Jake thought he might help out a bit."

"I see." And definitely the two men did see that the Professor was none too happy with having his 'wife' chatted up in his absence. They excused themselves so they could head back to their own campsite and Nanny thanked Jake for his help.

When they were out of earshot Nanny turned to the Professor, "I am sorry Professor, there seem to be more men trolling for women in the woods than there are in nightclubs."

Harold was humored by this, he smiled condescendingly and asked, "And just what would you know of men trolling for women in nightclubs?"

"Oh dear, perhaps I have led you astray a bit if you think I have never been to a nightclub. I'm not completely naïve in worldly matters you know." She looked quite serious.

Ok, so he was a bit taken aback by that statement. He couldn't imagine this old-fashioned, wear-your-collar-up-to-your-chin girl at a nightclub. Her? Wearing a little black dress too no doubt. He laughed to himself as he turned to walk toward the fire pit. Under his breath he said, "That's something I'd like to see, you at a nightclub."

Nanny didn't miss a beat as she said, "If you like."

So stunned was he by that, he tripped on a rock and landed in the center of the fire pit smack on top of the kindling and firewood that was ready to be lit.

"Dad, are you ok? What happened?" Hal came running over.

"I'm fine, I tripped over a rock. Thank goodness Jake didn't light the fire as well." Hal was crouching by his father's side but this only served to irritate his father. "Hal, I appreciate you wanting to help but I can get up on my own."

"Right Dad." Neither of them happened to see the smile on Nanny's face since it was hidden so quickly. When the Professor did happen to look at her, she seemed to be wearing an expression of astonishment that he would have fallen.

The Professor pulled himself up, dusted himself off and tried to reconstruct the kindling and firewood. "Alright crew, how shall we light this thing? Shall we use matches or does someone want to rub sticks together?"

"Just use matches Dad. We did the stick thing last time, it takes forever," Butch said.

The Professor smiled at this. Well at least he had missed out on some of the idiotic fun. "Alright, here we go." He lit the fire and suggested that the kids gather up some more firewood. Eager to explore the outdoors, they ran off into the trees.

Once the children were out of ear shot, he couldn't help but question Nanny, "What did you mean by that comment earlier, 'If you like'?"

"I simply meant Professor, that if you would like to see me in a nightclub setting then I will accompany you sometime." She said it so matter of factly that he felt he should not be at all shocked by that. He was however, extremely shocked. He had come out on this camping trip hoping for a glimpse of her in the two-piece bathing suit which had not gotten, and instead he had a tentative date with her in the future.

"Oh," was his simple reply. But that didn't begin to express what he felt.

"Of course if you'd rather not Professor that is perfectly understandable. Perhaps you could find someone to take me and we could double date."

He felt like tripping or falling again. Was she actually asking him to set her up with a date? NO, that was not going to happen. "No, no that's alright; I don't mind doing the honors in the slightest." He smiled but somehow felt as though he'd been tricked into something. As if that were anything new, she was always manipulating him into something or other. "Err, not to change the subject, but you did bring those steaks, right? Not that I don't like trout..."

"Right here Professor," she opened the foil only to find a bunch of cut up meat.

The look on the Professor's face was agony, "Dog food?"

"Oh, I just grabbed the wrong package," she dug once again in the cooler, "here it is. They were right under the butter."

"Wonderful. Uh... butter?"

"Of course. The butter is for the potatoes tonight and the pancakes in the morning?"

"Pancakes? Nanny if you'd told me the menu for these campouts ahead of time it might not have been so difficult to get me to come along." To say nothing of you swimming in a two-piece bathing suit. Of course that last part was not verbalized, yet when he looked at her face it was scarlet. That was frightening. He went over it again in his mind to make sure that he had not said that aloud; he was sure he hadn't yet she looked as if he had certainly said it. He shook his head and turned to set the folding cooking grate over the top of the fire.

"Well, what can I help with? I'm starving."

Of course, he got the dreaded task of cleaning the fish that he and the boys had been too distracted to do earlier; meanwhile Nanny put some foil wrapped potatoes in the fire, and set about seasoning his favorite steaks.

When he returned with the clean fish the children were busy around the campsite with a large stack of wood a short distance from the fire. Butch was playing with a lizard he'd found. Hal was studying a few specimens of insects he had gathered in a jar and Prudence was helping Nanny as usual. "Well ladies, here are the fish, cleaned and ready for cooking."

"And here are your steaks Professor, I'll just let you put them on the fire while I prepare the trout." The steaks with all of Nanny's wonderful seasonings were making his mouth water, and they weren't even cooked yet. Still, he wasn't quite comfortable with the idea of eating before the children no matter how hungry he was.

"Actually Nanny, I think I'll wait a few minutes and make sure that we all eat together."

His smile was so full of love for his family it made Nanny smile in return. "Very well Professor." And she treated him to an equally warm smile that reached up to her smoky blue eyes.

She had a light breading for one side of the fish and cooked everything to perfection. The Professor manned the steaks while Nanny cooked the rest and before they knew it they were all enjoying a dinner every bit as good as one that she made at home. The children weren't at all interested in steak; it was much more fun for them to eat the spoils of the wilderness in which they camped. The potatoes that Nanny had baked in the hot coals of the fire were delicious and completed the dinner. But when Nanny got a piece of potato stuck on the corner of her mouth and reached out to get it with her tongue; the Professor slipped off of the rock that he was sitting on and toppled onto the dirt.

"Gee Dad, are you alright?" Butch asked hurrying over to his father.

"Yes Butch, I'm just fine." At least he'd finished his steak and most of his potato; he'd even eaten a bit of the fish which surprisingly wasn't at all bad.

"Gosh Dad, you sure do seem to be clumsy today. Maybe you should see the doctor when you get home. Maybe you have an inner ear infection or something."

"It's a coincidence Hal. I do NOT have an inner ear infection or the onset of any other condition." The irritation the mishaps were causing was evident in the tone of his voice.

"Hal, if you want your father to bring you on future campouts I suggest that you do not pester him on this one." Nanny said in her matter of fact tone.

"Yes Nanny."

"Children, the sun is beginning to set, shall we walk to the edge of the water to see?"

"Yeah!" The boys yelled in unison.

"Will it be colorful and beautiful like before Nanny?" Prudence asked.

"I don't know, but there's one way to find out isn't there?"

"Come on Daddy, you'll love this." Prudence tugged on her father's hand and led him to the water's edge.

They all looked west and saw a myriad of colors on the horizon. Professor Everett had to admit that it was a beautiful site. As Prudence hugged his side, he reached down and scooped her up. "Isn't it beautiful, Daddy?" she asked. He was always amazed by his small daughter's deep thoughts and appreciations. She really was a unique little girl with her great love for the beauty of the world, accompanied by an empathetic conscience that many adults would never develop.

"Yes Darling," he whispered, "it's absolutely breathtaking."

Nanny, who had been standing on the other side of Prudence and listening to their conversation, leaned in and hugged the girl that was still held in her father's arms. The closeness and the beauty of the moment felt good to the Professor. He couldn't remember feeling quite like this since just after Prudence was born and their family was happy, full, and healthy. He looked over at Nanny and mouthed a silent thank you, for which he was rewarded with that familiar smile that reached her beautiful blue eyes. She continued to lean into him with an arm around Prudence and it did indeed feel like a full and happy family.

After they had cleaned up the dinner mess, they all lay on sleeping bags looking up at the stars, pointing out the common constellations. As they looked at the stars however, clouds began to roll in and it was decided that they would all have to stay in the tent. They arranged sleeping bags so that the Professor was toward the back with the boys on each side of him while Nanny and Prudence slept in another direction by the door. They were all startled awake with the first burst of thunder and the ensuing rain. "I can't believe this old tent isn't leaking." The Professor commented. "This tent is as old as you kids."

"Oh that's because last time we came camping one of the guys treated the seams for us." Butch announced. "They said that they couldn't believe Nanny's husband would send her and us kids camping without checking the tent and supplies out."

"Butch that will be quite enough," Nanny interjected.

"That's alright Nanny, they were right. I spent so much time trying not to go I'd made rather a mess of things. I should just be glad that someone was there to help all of you out." He felt a warm hand closing over his, yet when he looked down nothing was there and Nanny was on the other side of the tent. He almost wondered if Hal was right and something was seriously wrong with him.

After the initial excitement of the rain everyone relaxed and let the pitter pat of the rain hitting the tent lull them to sleep. They awakened to a very warm morning now that the rain had passed. As the Professor stepped outside there was the most beautiful rainbow he'd ever seen and he called everyone out to enjoy it. They were all impressed by the beautiful if temporary memento left behind by the storm.

Nanny spoiled them all with sausages and pancakes, and coffee for her and the Professor. The Professor couldn't remember enjoying a breakfast as much as he did that one since his honeymoon with his wife. He wondered why he had resisted coming on the campout in the first place; being out of doors like this really was invigorating and enjoyable. They spent the later morning packing many of their things back into the car. They had decided to have lunch at the hamburger joint down the road a ways. But with the sun bearing down on them and the definite shift in the weather, they decided a swim before leaving was in order.

Nanny however was out of her comfort zone. She had packed only the two-piece bathing suit not realizing that it was apparently the highlight of the Professor's outing. She tried to cry off saying that there were things to do but the Professor asked her which things and he and the children attended to each task on her list.

"Oh, silly me," she began, "I forgot to keep snacks out for the children, the food was the first thing packed. I'll have to take it all out and repack, you all go and have your swim and I'll have this done by the time you return."

The Professor merely grinned, he wasn't coming this close to his opportunity only to give in so quickly, "Nanny, the children do not need snacks. We are stopping at the burger stand down the road after we leave here."

"Yeah Nanny, please come swim with me. The boys don't play with me good. Please?" There really was no way to resist Prudence's plea. Her only option now was to change more quickly than the rest and be already neck deep in the water before they reached the water as well.

She had done just that when Prudence ran up, "Nanny can you tie this for me please?"

Oh dear, "Yes Prudence." She tied the neck but then realized that the back of Prudence's suit needed to be redone as well. "There you are Darling, now let's hurry." Nanny grabbed her hand and rushed toward the spot that she had chosen for swimming.

"Why are we in a hurry, Nanny?"

"Because Sweetheart, we want to get in as much swim time as possible, right?"

"Oh right."

However, as they began to wade into the water the guys appeared. The Professor was stunned to stillness as he saw the perfectly shaped Nanny wading into the water. No wonder the men had been knocking themselves out doing things for her. Her beautiful pale skin was set off by the turquoise blue swim suit she wore and her golden hair shone in the sun. When she heard the boys yelling and splashing she turned around.

Now it was her turn to be stunned, she'd been so focused on the Professor's possible reaction to her in a swim suit that she'd given no thought to her reaction to him. But his olive skin and dark shiny hair in the sun were a perfect sight. He was in spectacular shape for a man that made his living primarily sitting behind a desk. His smooth muscular chest caused her to suck in her breath and stumble. Before she knew it she was coming up out of the water sputtering with the Professor right there helping her to regain her footing.

"Are you alright Nanny?" He asked in his deep musical voice.

"Oh yes quite. I believe my foot slipped on a bit of algae," came her reply. She sounded fairly breathless since she was reeling from the feel of his arm around her bare side and back. His touch on her bare skin felt like fire. Surely these feelings were completely inappropriate in the company of the children. "I'm alright, really," she said finding her footing and backing away from him.

The Professor stood stock still as she backed away. His torso was vivid and tempting as he stood halfway out of the water watching her. The look on his face told her that he knew exactly the affect he was having on her and he was enjoying it. He was by no means a vain or conceited man, but he did know that he held a certain appeal for women and he wasn't above using it when it suited him and right now it did. She'd been somehow making him feel like an awkward school kid since they set out on this campout and now it was his turn to have the upper hand.

He turned to play with the kids splashing and swimming but took every opportunity to show off his athletic form. He also took every opportunity to admire her beautiful slender figure when she dared to spring out of the water a bit. The swell of her breast from the side where the swim suit tried to cover, and the smooth skin of her torso were tantalizing. He hadn't felt an attraction like this in a very long time and was grateful for the cool water. He swam out a ways and dove beneath the surface.

"Where's Daddy?" Prudence asked.

"Don't worry Pru, he was captain of his swim team in college, remember?" Hal said. Still, Prudence was relieved when her daddy came up for a breath.  
>"See, told you," he added.<p>

The Professor decided that he'd best get out of the water and stop trying to catch every glimpse of Nanny. He walked onto the shore and spread a towel on the ground, laying on his stomach to let the warmth of the sun warm his back.

Nanny had tried not to watch as he left the water but she was helplessly mesmerized. His masculine muscular calves and thighs were sprinkled with black hair. The muscles in his back rippled as he spread the towel and laid down, then pulled his arms up to cradle his head. The fine display showed his muscled shoulders to their best advantage. She'd known before that she was somewhat attracted to him, but today, this afternoon she'd become acutely aware of just how attracted she actually was.

While the Professor lay there with his eyes closed he thought of the date that they had sort of set and he let his imagination go until he had fallen asleep. Nanny took advantage of the opportunity to leave the water and change back into her clothes. The children were almost ready to go but the Professor remained sleeping. Nanny knelt beside him and placing her hand on his shoulder she gently shook him. "Professor, Professor."

Groggily he turned toward her, "Nanny?"

"The children are all ready Professor, and I'm afraid we've let you get a bit of sunburn." Her voice seemed soft and almost husky and he thought how nice it was to wake up to that sound.

"Hmm, ok get them into the car and I'll be along shortly." He felt her cool hand on his heated flesh and hoped that she was right about the sunburn. Having her tend his scorched back couldn't be to very unpleasant.

As he made his way back to the car the kids were tired and subdued, but still managed to ask, "Did you have a good time Dad? Can we do this again?"

"Yes, I had a good time. We will definitely do this again. But at some point we'll travel up to Yosemite and have a real 'back to nature' experience. What'd ya say?"

The kids all smiled to each other, "Sounds great Dad!" Hal said for all of them.

Nanny smiled to herself, knowing they had taken another step in bonding and healing as a family. "I think it's a lovely idea Professor."

He looked at her. Although he'd always appreciated her and her affect on his family, she'd achieved a whole new status in his mind. The warmth of the smile that spread across his face was the expression of all that he felt; and it seemed to convey to her all that he hoped that it would.

The boys didn't fail to notice the looks between them. Once again, they could see that something was happening between their father and this woman that they had occasionally called "Mom." Hal looked at Butch. Butch smiled and looked at Prudence.

Prudence merely yawn and said, "Daddy I'm hungry."

Butch looked back at Hal who was grinning from ear to ear. Then Hal said, "Let's go get burgers Dad, we're starving."

As the Professor looked in the rearview mirror and saw the faces of his three beautiful, happy and smiling children he set out for the hamburger stand feeling that all was right with the world once again.

**The End**


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